Exercising-machine



J. P. NICHOLS. EXERGISING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

V 1 3 l W m mmw/ ammzan'ckazs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. NICHOLS, OF MARION, INDIANA.

EXERCISING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,251, dated August6, 1889. Application filed April 27, 1889. Serial No. 308,807. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Exercising- Machine, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has relation to exercisingmachines for use in gymnasiumsand other places, and among the objects in view are to provide a machineadapted to be struck either by the hand,base-ball bat, or otherbludgeon, or with a ball, which machine is so constructed as to registerthe amount of force given.

The invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafterspecified, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a machineconstructed in accordance with my, invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in both the figures.

1 represents a suitable base or sill. The same consists of alongitudinal central piece 2 and transverse end pieces 3 and 4:. Uponthe rear piece 4 are mounted opposite uprights 5, having a transversesuperimposed bar 6. At the front portion of the base, and in thisinstance upon a cross-piece 3, are mounted opposite standards 7, havingbearings 8, and in the same is journaled a rockshaft 9, from the centerof which projects upwardly a rock-arm 10, carrying near its upper endand upon its front face a blow-receiving abutment 11, formed withoppositely-inclined guide-arms 12, and provided intermediate the samewith a fabric or other noise-deadening buffer 13. Extending from nearthe lower end of the rock-arm 10 is a horizontal rockarm 14, which isbraced by means of diagonal braces 15, extending from the upper end ofthe arm 10 to near the rear end of the arm 14:, said arm 14 projectingrearwardly beyond the cross-piece at of the base.

Upon standards 16, projecting oppositely from the rear cross-piece 4, ismounted a casing 17, the front face of which is provided with a dial 18,and through the sameis passed a transverse shaft 19, carrying at itsouter end a movable pointer 20 and within the easing a gear-wheel 21.

To one side of the shaft 19 and in suitable bearings 22, formed in thefront and rear walls of the casing, there is journaled an oscillatingshaft 23, provided with a toothed sector 24:, the teeth of which aredesigned to mesh with the gear-teeth 21. Upon the inner face of thesector is provided a ratchet 25, into which is designed to mesh aspring-pressed pawl 20, normally thrown into the path of the ratchet bymeans of a spring 27. The end of the pawl is projected fromthe side ofthe casing to an opening and adapted to be thrown by hand or otherwiseinto or out of connec tion with the teeth of the ratchet. A coiledspring 28 connects one end of the sector 24 with the roof of the casingand serves to maintain said sector in a raised position, or to thatdegree in which the movable pointer 20 registers at zero.

Upon the longitudinal base 2, I mount in this instance an ellipticspring 29, the upper port-ion of which takes under the rock-arm 14: andserves to return the same to position after having been depressed, ashereinafter described.

30 represents a connecting-rod, which is pivoted to the inner end of thesector 24, and which is provided with a lower slotted portion 31, whichreceives a laterally-projecting pin 32, projecting from the side of therockarm 14. Suitable side braces project from the standards 16 to thestandards 7.

If desired, I may mount the casings 17 directly upon the transverse bar6; but in order to avoid transferring the shock to the casing and itsmechanism I prefer to mount the same upon separate standards 16. Betweenthe lower face of the transverse bar 6 and the upper face of therock-arm 14, I mount a rubber or other noise-deadening buffer 34.

The operation of my invention is as follows: By striking between theguide-arms 12 either with a hammer, bat, ball, or by hand, the rock-arm10 is tilted to the rear, as is also the rock-shaft 9, and the rock-armlat depressed, all to a degree in accordance with the force of the blowgiven. As the rockarm 14 descends or is depressed, it, by means of theconnecting-rod 30, oscillates the sector 24, which, being in mesh withthe gear 21, rotates the same and its shaft 19, which carries themovable pointer 20 over the face of the dial in accordance with theamount of rotation given its shaft. The spring 29 returns the rock-armslt and 10 to their normal position, leaving the dial at the point towhich it is brought, in which position it is held by means of the sector24, said sector being held by the spring-pressed pawl 26. The return ofthe rock-arm 14 is permissible without changing the position of thepointer and its mechanism by reason of the slot 31 in the connecting-rod30. After inspecting the dial, by simply depressing the rear end of thepawl 26, the same is withdrawn from mesh with the ratchet 25, and thesector resumes its normal position, and in so doing brings the pointerback to the zero-point.

A coiled spring 36 is connected at itslower end to the end of therock-arm 14: and at its upper end to the casing, the same aiding toreturn the rock-arm after having been depressed. This spring, however,is not necessary.

Having described my invention,wh at I claim 1. An exercising machine forreceiving blows, comprising a base, a blow-receivin g rock-arm mountedon a rock-shaft journaled on thebase, a rearwardly-extendin g rock-arm,a movable pointer mounted over a dial, and devices connecting the armand pointer and adapted to rotate the latter by the oscillation of theformer, substantially as specified.

2. An exercising-machine for receiving blows, comprising a base, adepressible rockarm, a dial-case mounted above the rock-arm and carryinga movable pointer, a sector mounted in the case and adapted to mesh witha toothed wheel mounted on the dialshaft, and a rod connecting thesector and the rock-shaft, substantially as specified.

3. In an exercising-machine, the combination, with a base provided atits forward end with a rock-shaft carrying an upwardly-projectingblow-receiving rock-arm and a rearward rock-arm, of a dial-case mountedabove the rock-arm and provided with a pointershaft carrying a gear, asector mounted at one side of the gear and meshing therewith, and aloosely-pivoted connecting-rod connecting the inner end of the sectorwith apin projecting from the rock-arm, substantially as specified.

4. In an exercising-machine, the combination, with blow receiving andtransmitting mechanism, of blow-registering mechanism connectedtherewith and independent means for returning each to its normalposition irrespective of the movement of the other, substantially asspecified.

5. In an exercising-machine, a base pro vided at its forward end with arock-shaft having upwardly-projecting and rearwardly-projectingrock-arms suitably braced, and a spring for returning the rear rock-armto position, in combination with a dial-case mounted above therearwardly-projecting rock-arm and provided with a pointer-shaft havinga gear, a sector mounted to the side of the gear and meshing therewith,a spring for returning the sector to its normal position, aratchet-plate mounted on the sector, and a pawl for enga ing the teethof the ratchet, substantially as specified.

G. The base-sills 2, 3, and 4, arranged as described, in combinationwith the standards 7, mounted upon the sill 3 and provided with bearings8, carrying a rock-shaft 9, and the rockarms 10 and 14, the formerprovided with the blow-receiving device 11, having opposite guide-arms12 and buffer 13, and the spring 29, mountedon the sill 2 and under therear end of the rock-arm 14, substantially as specified.

7. The combination, with the base having the rock-shaft 9 and arms 10and 14, the former provided with the blow-receiving device and thelatter having the spring 29, of the supports 5, having the cross-bar 6and buffer, and the standard 16, having the casing 17, provided with thedial 18, transverse dialshaft 19, carrying the dial 20 and gear 21, andthe sector-shaft 23, mounted in bearings 22, carrying the sector 24,meshing with the gear and having the return-spring 28 and ratchet-plate25, and the spring-pressed pawls 26, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN P. NICHOLS.

Witnessesf DAVID BARROW, WM. A. MARLNEE.

